Red Antler Promotes Kiser Barnes as Partner and Chief Creative Officer to Expand Operational Capacity
Loosened Leash: Kiser Barnes Joins Red Antler as Partner and CCO
Hey there! Kiser Barnes has officially hopped aboard the Red Antler ship as partner and Chief Creative Officer (CCO), bringing fresh creativity and global business relationships to their client roster.
Barnes previously served as the executive vice president of design at Digitas, but his diverse background and deep-rooted design know-how made him the ideal catch for Red Antler. Raised in West Africa and the Middle East, Barnes' unique upbringing adds a world of experiences to the already multicultural team at Red Antler, which was founded back in 2007 by JB Osborne and Emily Heyward.
Landing a partner at the helm of the C-suite wasn't a piece of cake for Osborne and Heyward, but they knew Barnes was the missing puzzle piece to propel Red Antler to new heights of success.
As Osborne put it to ADWEEK, "Kiser's got years of design cred under his belt, and he's got a passion for tech like you wouldn't believe. He's worked with all sorts of agencies, done time in-house at brands, you name it. It all just clicked that this dude is the perfect friggin' fit."
With Barnes leading the charge, Red Antler's creative output and brand strategies will be at the forefront of the ever-evolving relationship between technology and creativity, including the impact of AI on creative processes[1][2]. In fact, his influence is so far-reaching that he even served as a juror at the 2025 Cannes Lions Festival[5], proving his prominence in the global creative scene.
Barnes's design approach is focused on details like typography and nostalgia, as he discusses in various interviews, demonstrating a thoughtful and refined lens through which he views creativity and design[3]. As Red Antler's partner and CCO, Barnes will be instrumental in shaping the creative vision of the agency and steering its brand-building efforts strategically and creatively[4].
Sounds exciting, right? Here's to new adventures at Red Antler with Kiser Barnes on board!
Barnes' extensive experience in design and technology will undoubtedly help Red Antler in shaping the creative vision of their agency, aligning well with their mission to be at the forefront of the transformation between creativity and technology. Barnes' influence in the global creative scene, evidenced by his juror role at the 2025 Cannes Lions Festival, will likely propel Red Antler's careers, both internally and in terms of client relationships, bringing new opportunities in the finance and business sectors.
